If your workout gear of choice includes your old college sweatshirt and a pair of sweats you’ve had for longer than you’d like to admit, it might be time for an upgrade. Sure, there’s nothing inherently wrong with wearing either item for your next run or trip to your local Crossfit outpost, but putting on a great-fitting tee or a pair of brand new shorts won’t just make you feel good, but will help you get a better workout. The treadmill doesn’t have to be a runway if you don’t want it to be, but breaking a sweat in gear that fits well and is designed to handle your toughest workouts is a great way to ensure your next session at the gym is better than the one before.

A great workout starts with the clothes you put on to do it and no brand knows that better than Under Armour. The brand, founded in 1996 by former University of Maryland football star Kevin Plank, makes performance apparel that’s designed to keep you cool, dry and light. Many items are specifically designed for the weather: HeatGear for when it’s hot, ColdGear for when it’s breezy, and AllSeasonGear for when it’s just right.

The brand is currently having a major sale on everything within the UA Outlet: Namely, you can snag $ 30 off your purchase of $ 100 or more with code TAKE30. Deals like this don’t come by often, so be sure to pick up a fleece funnel neck, long-sleeve tee or running shoes while the deal is on (and while your size is still in stock).

These cotton-blend fleece jogers are designed to wick sweat, dry super fast and lookg great whether you choose to wear them to the gym or out and about. The all-over camo pattern comes in two different shades, black and traditional khaki.

If you prefer to work out in fleece, you’ll dig this zip-up. It’s made with Reactor Fleece, which is designed to keep you optimally warm without stifling you. It adapts to your activity plus the fabric breatches as you move, keeping you the perfect temperature no matter how chilly it gets.

This streamlined shirt has a loose fit and is made from a quick-drying, ultra-soft fabric that doesn’t have that unnatural plastic feel some workout tops do. It’s designed for easy layering and comes in two different maroon shades, a stunning blue-green and a teal.

This is far from your go-to old-school cotton t-shirt. This is made from a soft, stretchy charged cotton that’s designed to wick sweat and dry way faster. It has a looser cut for ultimate comfort and ensures any odors don’t permeate through the shirt.

This sneaker is made for doing it all. It’s a lightweight and breathable sneaker, made with a sockliner that’s designed to mold to the foot for a great run. The midsole has molded foam and optimal cushioning, too.

For Sir Paul Smith, the secret to success is simple: just have a distinctive point of view.
Over the past four decades, the British fashion designer has created a successful business built on the premise of being “classic with a twist.”
In an entertaining and self-depreciating presentation, Smith showcased his colorful and quirky personality — traits that shine through in his clothes, as well.
One thing he’s perhaps most proud of, he said, is being independent. After being introduced as the chief executive officer of the Paul Smith brand, he said: “I didn’t know I was a ceo, I’ve always just been known as the boss. I have a tiny business in comparison to most of you guys out there. We do sell in over 70 countries, but the delicious thing about Paul Smith is we’re still independent. In the morning when I shave the only guy I have to answer to is the guy in the mirror.”
As a result of this independence, Smith said he can “be very spontaneous. I’m very happy to run a relatively small business.”
The magic behind that business begins in an office in Covent Garden that is jam-packed with so many knickknacks, toys, books and memorabilia that the

Mark Badgley and James Mischka aren’t that kind of designers. That kind — Badgley’s words — being those celebrated for edge and trend-driving provocation. Rather, they espouse a classic vision of glamour, their every choice based on simple, specific precepts: They know themselves, they know their customer, they know what she expects from them.
That starting point has proven effective, ultimately sustaining the duo through decades of fashion-industry and cultural vicissitudes. With their show tonight, Badgley and Mischka mark their brand’s 30th anniversary. Over lunch in their Manhattan office, they discussed their lives in fashion, over 30 years and into the future. “Our quest,” Badgley said, “is always trying to do something new but not abandoning what we stand for and what our customer likes.”
As happens in the throes of workaday matters, some career markers can sneak up. “It kind of surprised us,” Mischka said. “We just do the same thing all the time, so it’s like this is one more day in the life of Badgley Mischka. But it’s a very important day.”
Few in the industry would argue that a brand’s 30th anniversary isn’t worth noting. Once the designers became aware of the approaching milestone, they decided to celebrate. Even

One of the important 'life-skills', known as 'problem-solving', has had great impact on me during my lifetime. And while I've experienced just about every kind of problem-solving situation imaginable, the ones that are most enjoyable to me personally are those associated with novel math, science and logic problems. Earlier this year while browsing Facebook posts, several novel math/numbers type problems caught my attention. For me, solving such problems is a 'fun' experience and judging by the surprisingly positive response to these posts, there are many of you out there in cyber-space who also find enjoyment in this type of problem-solving. While working with these entertaining problems, it occurred to me that I have in my files a number of similar ones that I accumulated over the years. In addition to math/numbers problems, my collection includes uniquely novel and sometimes 'tricky' logic, science and even playing card problems all of which I thoroughly enjoyed solving. So, the thought occurred to me — why not share the fun solving these neat problems with others via an e-book memoir specifically about problem-solving.

Faherty Brand makes clothing that can be worn just about anywhere (not to mention comfortably be dressed up or down for any occasion). Started by surf buddies Alex and Mike Faherty, the label combines surf know-how and Mike’s previous experience designing for Ralph Lauren into an apparel line that’s a hit for both beach bums and city dwellers. Every item in the brothers’ capsule collection is a love letter to the beach and can only be found at Huckberry. Needless to say, when we learned the brand is marked down, we had to add a few finds to our cart—including this knit shirt.

Huckberry

The button-down is designed to look like a classic chambray, but has the ultra-soft feel you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. The rich (and natural) indigo color dresses up the typically lightwash look, and has natural stretch to move right along with you. The painted metal buttons help dress up the style.

While we doubt you’ll have any problems finding things to pair with the versatile top, we think it’ll look particularly dapper with a pair of chinos.

It is in our genetic makeup to desire for a good relationship. There are certain things that humans can do to speed up the process of looking for intimacy and a commonality with another person Finding a meaningful purpose for your life and make it a first priority, be specific when envisioning a person to be with and learn to communicate with your partner are 3 Tips for Having a Successful Relationship.Relationships:Dating Articles from EzineArticles.com

Quality skincare can put a dent in our wallets, but Kiehl’s is all about skincare that’s both wallet-friendly and effective—which is why its Friends & Family event is the other big thing we’re excited about this weekend. But just because the products are affordable doesn’t mean they don’t work: Kiehl’s is known to offer some of the best skincare products for men, and this sale will give shoppers 20% off (and a free travel pouch) with orders of $ 125 and more.

Whether your dating relationship is relatively new, or whether you have been married for quite some time, it never hurts to establish what some might call “date nights.” These designated times to be alone with a potential (or established) significant other can be quite important to the participants. A dedicated date night movie can be particularly exciting and fun, and there are numerous reasons to make this happen. Take a look at some of the following:Relationships:Dating Articles from EzineArticles.com

When one goes on a date, they may find that they are able to be themselves, and this is going to show that they feel comfortable in their own skin. Therefore, even if they are at a point in their life where they want to be with someone, they are not going to come across as being needy.Relationships:Dating Articles from EzineArticles.com

Justin Bieber’s helping out a new business, and it has nothing to do with music. The Biebs is dropping a very limited line of white tees with designer/stylist xKarla at a pop-up shop in L.A … according to sources connected to the deal. We’re told…

“Bachelor in Paradise” contestants who want to have sex must wait a beat and get permission from producers … TMZ has learned. Sources at the Mexican resort where the show is being filmed tell TMZ there are new rules in place regarding sex ……

Maria Menounos is back home and thankful to be alive after undergoing risky surgery to remove a benign brain tumor. While Maria’s sharing both the fears and blessings of her own journey in an emotional cover story for People, she’s also continuing to rally support for her mother’s Stage IV brain cancer battle.

Today we launch a special Sex After 50 series that will include a week of blogs, videos and stories about sex, love and dating after 50. This first video features Michael C. Bryan, a gay 50-something single looking for love. In addition to the video, we asked Michael five questions. His answers are below. Check out our other Sex After 50 stories here.

Huff/Post50: How has sex and dating changed for you after age 50 compared to the way it was when you were, say, in your 20s?

Michael: My past sexual life is pretty wild. I was a sex worker when I was younger and I worked for years in nightclubs in the Lower East Side of New York City. I found myself in many, many compromising positions (literally). I learned sex is liberating and freeing and is so much fun. As a sex worker it was all about my being in control. I was the one calling the shots. I was proving my sexual prowess to everyone and being provocative to gain attention (and it worked). Now, I don’t feel a need to prove my sexual prowess. I know what I’ve got and I know how to use it. I know what I want. I think that’s the great thing about sex after 50. I don’t feel the need to apologize when I am making sure my needs are being met. Sure, of course, I respect my partner’s needs as well, but my needs are first and foremost. As a gay guy I talk about this a lot with my female friends. They no longer feel guilt over making sure they have orgasms and are feeling good. They are no longer willing to forsake their pleasure for other men. And they are also questioning how the sex and emotional link works for them or not. Being over 50 and having sex means never having to say you’re sorry for being the first one to orgasm.

Michael: Making peace and loving where I’m at while also transcending any limitations I (or society) put on me to act a certain way when it comes to my age. It’s all a self-imposed mindset that I place on myself. The moment I start to feel I need to act a certain way and be a certain way then I’m doomed. I compare and despair. I do the tired ‘oh, it’s so hard to date at this age’ dance which is just boring. I can’t go there anymore, but when I do I just remind myself to fully love where I am and then I’m golden. Plus, I can fit into 30-inch jeans at my age and that’s cause for a party.

Michael: This will be hard for anyone under the age of 40 to understand, but sex as you get older is just sex as you get older. It’s not more complicated than that. But if you would have said that to me at 25 or 35 I would have said to myself ‘ew’ but now I say, ‘sex is sex is sex and age is really only a state of mind.’ What’s funny is that when I feel how sexy I am and feel good in my skin without trying to prove it to anyone, then I never get any shit from people because they feel what I feel. But when I try, that’s when I have an epic fail! Ha. But it’s true. There is also another thing that I’ve found funny as I’ve gotten older. People look at me differently because of my sheer biological age. As if I know something more, or that I have this gravitas even when I don’t feel it. When I started to realize that then I realized, ‘Okay, then. This is something I can work with.’ Everyone I meet now fuels my empowerment sexually and that’s the amazing part of getting older. I’ve earned this place to say ‘I’m hot shit’ and everyone supports that. Especially me.

Huff/Post50: Who was your favorite sex symbol growing up?

Michael: This is gonna make me sound SO gay but Farrah Fawcett. She was sweet and entirely uncynical but also knew how sexy she was. She wasn’t afraid to flaunt what she had, but she was also super smart and knew how to play the game. She wasn’t ashamed of her beauty. She celebrated it and she didn’t care how many people judged her. She loved who she was. And she only felt this way because of the constant judgment of her as this ‘dumb blond’ so many labeled her with. She used her beauty to inspire herself and her sense of easy sexuality which was a large part of her private and personal life. I only know this because I met her when I was 15. She was the kindest, sweetest and naturally sexiest person I’d ever met. We talked for a half an hour about everything. I’ll never forget how she touched my arm when I told her how pretty she was and she said, “It’s never about the outside, darlin’. It’s always about the inside.” Been my mantra for much of my adult life.

Huff/Post50: What celebrity older than 50 would you describe as totally sexy today?

Michael: I would never, ever have said this two years ago but to my shock my after-50 badass inspiration has been Madonna. As a gay guy I felt it was my duty to love her but after seeing her live on the original Virgin tour in the 80s, I fell out of like with her. All of my super cool friends said she just made silly music that wasn’t about a lot and that it wasn’t very advanced. That much better artists deserved more recognition than her. But then something happened. I turned 50 and I was having a hard time loving my age. I struggled for so long before 50 to come onto my own and I kept condemning myself for not being a bigger success. I was so angry it took me so long to get it all together. And I was really mad at Madonna for feeling at 52 what I only had begun to taste at 51. But then for a full year I listened to her music. Really listened to the lyrics. And I’ve come to see how she is the ultimate self-help guru of pop music. All her music is about moving, striving and not getting caught up in the past. To make your own life, your own reality. And I realized the reason so many people make fun of her is because she refuses to play the victim, refuses to be cynical and is a hardcore romantic about what we are capable of doing in this lifetime. She is 57 and is in amazing shape and couldn’t really care how many people dis her. She loves who she is and she isn’t going to change to please anybody. She celebrates life and she celebrates where she is in life. Are her efforts sometimes to be relevant faintly pushed? Yes, they are. But look at where she is. Look at what she’s done. Look at what she’s accomplished. Personally, her music and lyrics are helping me to become my own version of a male Madonna after 50 and I couldn’t be happier. Time for me to rule the world.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

After their son, Kirk II, was diagnosed with liver cancer and told he had only six months to live, Laurie and Kirk Sr. claim that the woman who previously had left their son at the altar ran — not walked — to tie the knot this time.

“I believe Star was seeing dollar signs with my dying son. She married him for his life insurance money,” claims Laurie. “Star is manipulative, and she is out for Star … Star has physically, emotionally and financially destroyed my son.”

Star admits she has cheated on Kirk twice and that she hit him once, but she vehemently denies that she’s after his money. “Kirk’s family has judged me since day one,” says Star, who says she wishes they would back off. “They make me out to be this evil person.”

It’s election time in Canada and the Liberal Party of Canada has a new look for their campaign posters. They’ve been getting a lot of attention, particularly this modification of the candidate for Quebec’s LaSalle-Émard-Verdun riding’s poster, David Lametti.

Yup, that’s the Klingon leader Gowron, the son of M’Rel and the leader of the Klingon Empire. Quite the comparison!

Lametti’s been having fun with the attention this has been getting (the man who first created the poster even has a twitter handle: @liberalgowron), and so I thought I’d ask him, in the vein of David Letterman, to give us his Top 10 Reasons Why Having Your Campaign Poster Photo-Shopped is a Good thing. Here are his answers:

10. The photo-shopped posters create dialogue. People are talking about our posters, and the Liberals invite debate, discussion and dialogue.

9. People are more creative with our posters than with the other parties. Our posters are not bland, they stand out. With that we get people who will either love them or hate them, and people are at least being creative and interactive with the liberal posters, instead of just ignoring them like the NDP or Conservative ones.

8. The humour decreases the intensity of the poster. Some people have commented that the posters look too intense. I don’t agree with that, but having some fun with them certainly balances that out.

7. Having more and better hair than I’ve had before.

6. Free publicity. Thanks @liberalgowron

5. It shows that the Liberal team has a sense of humour. We take this in stride and laugh about it.

4. Ups Canada’s potential for a strategic alliance with the Romulans.

3. My former students would say I’m a tough marker but at least I’m not a Klingon.

2. Comic con’s been calling.

1. I’d still vote for a Klingon over Prime Minister Harper.

Maybe he’ll live long and prosper.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

No, it’s not just your imagination—everyone really is getting married. Just glance at the catwalks (by way of Instagram) to see that models are among those now taking the whole summer love thing to another level: Just this past weekend, Victoria’s Secret Angel Candice Swanepoel announced her engagement to longtime model boyfriend Hermann Nicoli. In a nod to his Brazilian heritage (or a shared love of hip-swiveling), Swanepoel announced the genetically blessed union in a video of the duo enjoying a romantic dance complete with the caption “Meu eterno namorado”—or “my boyfriend forever” in Portuguese.

But Swanepoel isn’t the only runway strutter to receive an invitation to walk down the aisle—not even the only one to receive one on the beach. Street style siren Hanne Gaby Odiele was popped the question in Vieques, Puerto Rico, last week by her longterm boyfriend, John Swiatek, a DJ who also works for Acne Studios. In happy news for street style photographers, the pair often wears similar duds, from matching biker jackets on a walk down the Williamsburg Bridge and sun-glazed sporty tanks on vacation, to matching oversize white tees on rooftops. We’re betting this will be a stylish walk not down the runway, but to the altar for both these couples.

A video shared on YouTube features a boy named Ryder from Cedar Falls, Iowa, trying to herd five kittens and getting a tad bit overwhelmed in the cutest way possible. The best part? He calls the little felines “situations.”

Watch as Ryder attempts to gather the kittens to his blanket. But anytime he goes to retrieve a kitten, more follow him, leaving the blanket designated for his furry flock.

“Oh! Now we got some more situations!” the adorable little fella says.

Ryder’s mom, Lisa Richter, told The Huffington Post that the original video is much longer and her son actually broke a sweat trying to get all the kittens in one place. It’s OK, Ryder. We really admire your perseverance!

Richter told HuffPost that Ryder won’t have his hands quite so full for long. The kittens, who belong to a friend, are currently under the family’s care and Richter says they’ve decided to adopt two of them. The other three, however, are still looking for homes.

If you’re interested in the art of kitten herding, and would like to provide a forever home for one of the felines, you can reach out to Richter here. Your local shelter also has lots of kittens and cats looking for homes and a loving owner to herd them.

Also on HuffPost:

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

My father told me he was gay when I was 13. He said he had known ever since he was a little boy. Growing up Catholic in North Carolina during the 1960s did not present the most welcoming of circumstances for a gay man. For a lot of people, it is difficult to understand how a gay man could marry a woman and have children, but it is a lot more common than one might think. Most of my girlfriends are ecstatic when I tell them I have a gay dad; most of my guy friends are uncomfortable. For me, it’s a fact of life.

First, let me explain to you what it is not: It does not just mean I have a “cool dad” who goes shopping with me and that we get our nails done together (although, occasionally, we do).

This is what it is like: Harnessing my anger when I hear about hate crimes against the LGBT community and crying when I hear about LGBT kids committing suicide because of bullying. Biting my tongue (not often successfully,) when someone tells me that being gay, transgender, bisexual, etc. is “wrong, immoral or sick.” Watching the confused look on a person’s face when I try to explain why my dad stayed in the closet for 20 years and started a family as a straight man. Feeling hurt and frustrated when people actually believe gays set bad examples for their kids and being teased in grade school and, at that time, feeling ashamed. Have you ever tried to explain to someone that your stepdad is your father’s husband?

I fight against the ignorance because I know what it is actually like having a gay dad: wonderful. I adore watching him love my stepdad fully and wholeheartedly, no differently than two straight people would. Having a married gay dad means I get to have not only one intelligent, warm-hearted dad, but two. My dad, as a writer and advocate for the LGBT community, has become a resource and beacon of hope for lesbians and gays all around the world enduring the same struggle he did, and he encourages them to be open about who they are. As for changes in my life? I have become accepting and welcoming of all, regardless of how different they may be from me.

The relationship my father and I have today did not come easily, but it sure was worth it. Through a lot of counseling, tears and love, he became not only a better parent but a best friend. I am not sure if we became closer because he came out of the closet, but by showing his authentic self, our bond strengthened. He does not fit the so-called stereotypical “gay man,” but we certainly do enjoy our lunch dates and nights out on the town together. Our relationship is no different than any other good father and daughter bond. He still calls me every so often to make sure I am focusing on my studies, taking care of myself and staying away from bad boys and parties. (Sorry, Dad.)

Having a gay dad is so much more than meets the eye, but I would not have it any other way, and in fact I couldn’t. At forty-three years of age, I’m glad he finally figured that out too.

COLUMBUS, OH—Engaging in stilted chitchat about their spouses, exercise routines, and weekend plans at a Buffalo Wild Wings a quarter mile from their workplace, employees from local software company Cortel Systems referred to making awkward conversation outside the normal confines of their office as “going out to lunch,” sources confirmed Thursday. “So, uh, Henry, how long does it take you to drive into work in the morning?” asked account manager Elizabeth Harris, who called the brief snippets of forced conversation interspersed with long, uncomfortable pauses that took place over a chicken BLT with a side of potato wedges instead of at the table in their office kitchen a “nice change of pace.” “25 minutes? That’s not as bad as I thought. About the same as mine, you know, maybe a couple minutes longer…yeah.” At press time, Harris could be overheard referring to the individuals she solely knows …

If you’re suffering in your relationship and feeling lonely, you may be tempted to reach out to someone outside of your marriage — with or without the intention of having an affair.

Perhaps someone at work that is paying attention to you.

You may be tempted to look up an old Facebook friend or chat with someone online.

Why having an affair is not going to solve your marriage lull.

This is a short term solution to a bigger problem that may cause you more trouble than it is worth and wreck your marriage and your life.

Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you can maintain a platonic relationship with a member of the opposite sex.

When you’re hurting, you may be surprised at what you are capable of doing.

There are also plenty of people who are looking to take what doesn’t belong to them. Even if your intentions are not to leave your spouse and your intentions are really not to have an affair, your feelings for that person may quickly develop to the point where you lose all your rational thinking.

It’s almost like temporary insanity.

You can become so chemically drawn to the other person, that all logic and common sense is thrown out the window, even against your better judgement.

Even marriage counseling may not be able to save you from the mess that you have gotten yourself into. Especially if you’re not willing to give up the person of interest.

Why do people throw away their lives for a cheap thrill of having an affair?

Because we kid ourselves into believing that this could be a real relationship and better than the one we are already in. Even if it means having to take care of someone else’s children and increased expenses, the infatuation blinds us from reality.

It’s much like when we fell in love with our spouse way back when. We were impervious to all of their flaws and potential issues we would face. It was an amazing feeling. Only now, you’re amazed with someone else. It’s the chemicals in your brain that are fooling you. Really. Studies show that when you spend time alone with someone else, you can actually fall in love with them, even if you are happily married (How to Improve your Marriage without talking about it, Drs. Pat Love and Steven Stosny).

Some people also find it thrilling to have a clandestine relationship. They were feeling bored in their marriage and so the excitement and adrenaline rush of sneaking around helps to fill that void.

But, just as your marriage went from romance to power struggle, so too your new fling will ultimately disappoint you and likely give you some of the same challenges that you are facing in your relationship. What can you do now?

Don’t exit your relationship. You made a commitment for good times and bad. And right now it’s bad. So now’s the time to make it good.

Learn to articulate your needs in a safe and connected way so that you can get them met.

Work together to make your spouse your confidant that you can turn to. Learn effective communication that works if right now you can’t talk to each other.

Create an emotionally safe relationship where you both can be open with each other.

Invest your time and energy into reinvigorating your relationship by doing things differently. Go on vacation together, change scenery, try new things, date each other again.

You may be surprised that this lull in your relationship is actually an opportunity to revitalize your marriage and make it better than ever.

We know what it’s like when couples are in a stuck place (or worse!) and don’t know how to get their needs met within their marriage. It’s crucial to take action right away, before you pass the point of no return.

With best wishes for your relationship success,

Shlomo and Rivka Slatkin

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

It’s been five months since my husband moved out, eight months since we knew we were getting a divorce, and some of the reality is only just starting to hit me. No partner is coming home at the end of the day, and no one is waiting for me to come home. No one is going to tag team with me for baths and bed, or watch the baby while I take a nap. I haven’t worn my wedding ring since December, but only recently have I felt the ghost of the diamond band lingering around my finger.

I know without a doubt that this divorce is the right step, the only way forward, but that doesn’t make it easy. My middle daughter breaks into tears at random moments sometimes, filled with sadness that her dad and I are not getting back together. I drop off my kids every other week and don’t see them for five days. It seems unnatural for children and parents to go so long without seeing each other, almost as unnatural as putting them to bed or taking them on vacation by myself.

And then, of course, there’s money. I won’t be able to keep the house my children have grown up in, the house whose walls I painted warm yellow last year. When the final papers are signed, my bank account balance may look a lot like the one I had in my early 20s.

For a long time, I thought I knew how things were supposed to be. I was raised by a single mother, but I was never going to be one myself. I’d gone to college, chosen a flexible career, picked a good man. I was going to make sure my kids had the best upbringing possible. My family was going to be solid and stable, with plenty of date nights and cheerful family dinners. Unlike other couples, whose marriages fell apart, I was going to do everything right to ensure my husband and I stayed together forever.

But I’ve learned in life that there is no “supposed to be.” There are too many things beyond my control, events and twists and turns I’m not capable of knowing.

The loss of a marriage, my couples counselor said, is enormous. And he’s right. But I’ve also been mindful throughout this whole process of how much I’ve gained, how much I’m still gaining. My home is peaceful, free from fighting or tension, even during moments of sadness. I have my confidence, and friendships that continue to grow richer with passing months. I am a beginner again, able to discover new parts of myself. I know now that change is constant, that there are no absolutes, and my own contentment relies on accepting the cycles of life rather than resisting them.

No day is guaranteed to any of us. No marriage is perfect. We all do the best we can, and eventually are forced to make decisions of how best to save ourselves.

This summer, I took my three kids to Los Angeles to visit my father. What I looked forward to most was a chance to run on the rolling hills a block away from his house in a local park called Victory Trailhead. On the day I arrived, I changed clothes, tied my sneakers, and walked toward the trail just as the sun began to shimmer behind an overcast sky. It wasn’t until I ran through the entrance of the trail and neared the top of the first hill that I remembered the last time I’d been there. It was three years ago, when I thought my marriage was steady, when I was on the cusp of a new job I hoped would bring financial stability, when both of my older kids were still in preschool. I had casually walked toward the trail early one morning, amazed by its beauty, but scared to venture too far. I was alone, all was quiet around me, and I was worried about getting lost on the path, or what I might find. I was a panicked and fearful person, unsure of whether I could trust myself. So instead of continuing, I closed my eyes and tried to freeze the image of the hills in my mind before I turned back.

This time, though, I ran quickly up the trail, not knowing my way but confident I’d find it. I fell down once and got back up. I lost my way and journeyed far and after a long time intuited my way back to where I came from.

And at some point, I looked up at the scattered clouds and the trees that seemed like they had always lived, listened to the worn dirt scrape beneath my feet, and felt full of the knowledge that I could not possibly fall. There are too many people in my life holding me up. I have my healthy body, the brilliant blue sky, soft earth, beauty everywhere. I have my spirit, intact and stronger than ever before. I know now — after all of this — who I truly am.

It was in that moment, and many moments since, that I felt like I have everything.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

“I think you’re comparing apples to oranges here,” she said. “I don’t think this is discrimination at all. This is about freedom of association. It’s about constitutional rights. It’s about First Amendment rights. It’s about having the right to still choose who we associate with. [The bakery] didn’t refuse to bake the cake because of [the couple’s] sexual orientation. In fact, they baked cakes for them previously. They had a problem with the actual ceremony because that — the ceremony — is what conflicted with their religious beliefs.”

Symone shut down the argument after that.

“I refuse to associate with you right now,” she said.

﻿﻿Also on HuffPost:

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

“He has anointed both of us and I know that he’s calling for us to do something miraculous,” Wilson said. “I told her … If you can really love somebody without that, then you can really love somebody.”

Wilson was talking about not having sex, just in case that wasn’t totally clear.

He said the 29-year-old singer agreed with him, adding, “I ain’t gonna lie to y’all now. I need y’all to pray for us! I know you seen her on the screen … If there’s a 10, she’s a 15. Pray for me. Keep my mind clear. Keep my heart clear.”

Good to know. Also good to know: Wilson, 26, was previously married to Ashton Meem, whom he divorced in 2014, while Ciara was previously engaged to rapper Future, with whom she has a 1-year-old son, Future Zahir Wilburn.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

“He has anointed both of us and I know that he’s calling for us to do something miraculous,” Wilson said. “I told her … If you can really love somebody without that, then you can really love somebody.”

Wilson was talking about not having sex, just in case that wasn’t totally clear.

He said the 29-year-old singer agreed with him, adding, “I ain’t gonna lie to y’all now. I need y’all to pray for us! I know you seen her on the screen … If there’s a 10, she’s a 15. Pray for me. Keep my mind clear. Keep my heart clear.”

Good to know. Also good to know: Wilson, 26, was previously married to Ashton Meem, whom he divorced in 2014, while Ciara was previously engaged to rapper Future, with whom she has a 1-year-old son, Future Zahir Wilburn.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

My reaction, when I read the piece, was anger: who are these young people to tell me I’m too old for sex? Why do we need to be reminded of the propaganda that great sex has an expiration date, and if yours is up, well, settle down for the next few decades on the sexual sidelines?

I thought of this article when my boyfriend Sam and I were dining al fresco at a local restaurant last weekend. At 48 and 52 respectively, we’re two lust-driven middle-aged people who like to have sex and talk about sex as much as possible. Sam, in fact, was talking enthusiastically about a particular sex act when the waiter arrived with our artichoke dip. I glanced around the patio at diners who looked to be in their 20s and wondered a) if they could hear him and b) what they thought about us if they could?

Were they surprised that we “still” have sex at our advanced ages? Were they disapproving? Grossed out? I started to wonder why young people think they have the patent on sex when old people have been doing it a lot longer.

It’s youthful ignorance, of course. You don’t understand what you don’t know. And what I would like all those to the left of 30 to know is this:

1. You will get older too. Yes, really. You will get gray hair and skin creases and you will still want to have sex. And you will not care at all what young people think.

2. Older people do it just like you, only better. Penises still enter vaginas. Tongues still lick genitals. Just with a lot more finesse than yours.

3. You don’t have to worry about pregnancy. Worrying about getting pregnant, or not getting pregnant, takes up a lot of space in your head. When baby-making is no longer a concern, you can enjoy sex in its purest form.

4. Sex isn’t tied up with rings and babies. Pregnancy isn’t the only issue that can make sex feel less sexy. The pressure to create an adult life, complete with the house and the kids and the holiday cards, can sap psychological energy and sex drives. One reason people often experience greater sexual enjoyment in middle age is that the exhausting tasks of young adulthood are behind them.

6. The same body parts yield pleasure. Loose skin, lack of lubrication and erections that need coaxing don’t signify lack of desire or gratification. And because you are no longer taking the express train to Orgasmville, you will experience sex with greater nuance and meaning.

7. Staying sexually active keeps you feeling vital. Some people welcome midlife and beyond as a time when it’s “okay” to stop having sex, and that’s a valid choice. But most people want to continue having sex in their second and third acts and find that the more they have it, the more vibrant they feel.

8. You will still like all the same sex acts. If you like it from behind when you’re 20, chances are you’ll like it from behind when you’re 60. You may not be quite as acrobatic, but you may be more creative, and with the pressure of rings and babies behind you, you may enjoy what you’re doing more.

9. You will still have orgasms. They may not be as strong or as frequent. Or they may be more powerful if sexual shame enveloped you when you were young. But you will have them with a partner, and when you’re flying solo.

10. Sex is about more than orgasms. When you’re young, sex tends to be one-dimensional, with orgasm and validation being the goals. When you’re older, you realize that sex is about the journey, not the destination. You enjoy exploring each other. Sexual confidence comes from finally being comfortable in your own skin regardless of the the appearance of your body parts.

The last time you heard from Three 6 Mafia’s Crunchy Black, it wasn’t for any sort of Hip-Hop nostalgic reasons. At 40-years-old, the veteran rapper born Darnell Carlton got himself in the crosshairs of the law when he was caught with meth in Las Vegas, eventually earning him a non-paid vacation in jail for seven months back in April.

Seeing that he has plenty of time to reflect these days, HipHopDX’s Ural Garrett managed to put CB’s phone time to use for an interview from within the belly of the beast. And as you could expect, he’s not having the time of his life, seeing that he can’t even listen to music in the “Room 1″ he’s currently incarcerated in. However, he’s still holding his head like an OG.

“Oh man, I’m holding up all good. Gone let ’em know. I’m a hood ni**a so this jail shit ain’t sh*t to me,” he says, “Right now man, I’m looking for a whole big change… Because I represent God all the way even though I was representing that Three Six Mafia. I represent God all the way. So, I’m looking for a change right now. When I get out of here, I ain’t going to talk to a lot of people. I ain’t going to answer the phone for you. A lot of people I ain’t messing with. Supposed to be getting their bills paid? I ain’t gone help them. I know God represent me and I represent God and he known what I’m talking bout. He understands why I’m making this change for and what I’m going to do.”

“I don’t feel like he gone be mad at me because I told him I’m going to be one of the key players for him to make people who don’t believe in him, believe in him. So, I’m a looking for a change.”

Crunchy Black also revealed that he still keeps in close contact with DJ Paul and has fans putting money on his books. He also gave updates on his upcoming musical releases, which include a feature with YG, who he learned had gotten shot during the course of the interview.

“I hope he feeling better because you know I got shot too. I got shot in my muthaf*cking head but God was on my side so I hope he got God on his side,” Black said of his Bompton homie.

He also expects to be released from prison just in time for Christmas, on December 23.

After all, I had my life all mapped out. I was voted Most Likely to Succeed and Best Hair in my small Minnesota High School; I was going places. I was going to graduate from college with honors, naturally, and get a high-powered, high-paying job, buy a house, meet an exceptional guy by the time I was 25 and get married soon after and have a couple of kids before I turned 30 and started to get old.

Things started out according to plan. I did have good hair. I did graduate from college with honors. did have a decent career run going. I bought my first house at age 24. I did meet an exceptional guy and married him at age 26. I had my son when I was 28, twin girls at 30. But just as I was pulling out of newborn twin haze and getting ready to ease into the-rest-of-my-fabulous-life, the wheels came off (my husband was a cyclist). My marriage imploded, my life fell apart and I was suddenly a single mom at age 32 who hadn’t worked since I got married. I had turned into the woman I made fun of when I was young, single, unencumbered and knew everything.

And while that was not very funny to me at the time, I can see a lot of humor in it now. I have grown up in a million ways and can’t imagine my evolution happening on any other path. It’s amazing what some time (OK, fine, a decade) and a little perspective (and therapy) can do.

I joke with my friends that it’s not freaking funny to be dating, perhaps seen naked for the first time, precisely when the body is starting to shift and melt. When you shift and melt with your longtime love, they knew you back in the day, so they see you through a filter of loving timelessness. Or maybe their eyesight is fading too? They know that your soft tummy and breasts were caused by the stretch of growing their beautiful babies, or the lines by your eyes are the product of shared laughs, vacation sun or squinting together into the future. To be middle-aged and single can be rather awkward, especially if you can’t laugh about it. We want to date men our own age, but they often go for a second round start up, only to wind up in the exact same place a few years later. If we go younger we’re cougars, and if we go older we’re trophies. Everyone judges everyone as hastily as the swipe of a Tinder finger. Book, Cover. I think I already read you. Sometimes married women don’t think about this when they feel restless and unappreciated, curious about the other side.

I call this the Greener Grass phenomenon.

It’s basically the same thing women have done throughout history. Curly-haired girls want straight hair, while straight-locked girls use curlers. Tall girls slouch and short girls wear heels; brunettes bleach their hair and blondes go Goth; flat girls get implants and big ta-tas get reductions; young girls dress too old and middle-aged mamas dress too young; fair-skinned maidens bake in the sun and leather ladies get dermabrasion; smart girls play dumb and dumb girls act smart. We wait and wonder about puberty and later wax everything off and get our tubes tied.

We are in a constant, futile cycle of thinking the grass is always greener.

Some married women complain that their husbands are controlling; they want sex all the time or else they are boring in bed; they don’t help around the house or with the kids; they are married to their jobs or to their cell phones. Married gals get sick of cooking dinner, attending or hosting functions, taking the kids to church alone, being weekend widows to golfers, hunters or workout fanatics or asking a hundred times for something to be done or fixed and finally paying somebody else to do it. They are tired of having to run everything past someone else, as if they were an employee and unable to make plans or find solutions without an approval process.

They wonder what it would be like to feel like “that” again. The rush of emotion, nervousness and excitement that comes with the first blush of love (or lust, really, I mean, c’mon). They miss the way their heart skips a beat when he calls and the miraculous five-pound weight loss from lack of appetite (best diet ever). I contend that it isn’t so much the way a woman feels about a man that creates this much flurry, but more the way a man can make a woman feel about herself. Married women miss this. They often feel unseen.

I think marriage has taken a major hit from technology. Think about it. Years ago, if a man wanted to perv out with porn, he had to drive at night to some godforsaken place near the airport with a neon sign and boarded up windows and creep in there like a cretin. Today, he can just peek over his shoulder to make sure she’s got the kids in the tub and surf the web for any kind of sleaze. It’s totally accessible and seemingly without consequence. The same goes for bored or lonely wives with the advent of Facebook. The last thing a neglected wife needs is to reconnect with her high school flame. Are you kidding me? That is the relational equivalent of throwing a grenade at a gas station. We can send emails, Facebook messages, tweets and texts from the perceived safety of our screen, peeking coyly behind it like a Googling geisha. It seems innocent enough at the time, but whether it’s instant porn or instant messaging, it’s all immediate gratification and it all escalates until it’s not so innocent anymore.

So in classic greener grass mentality, married women miss the rush and single women miss the blah. I miss sleeping like spoons with someone whose arm fits over my waist as comfortably as my blanket. Someone whose sleeping sounds are as familiar to me as the songs on an overplayed CD from my college years. I miss Sunday afternoons and evenings when doing nothing together constitutes a very fine plan. I miss rummaging around for dinner fixings and deciding at the last minute to order takeout instead. I miss the banter over coffee, the crossing paths with a fly by kiss, the bed head hair, the bickering, the person reading over my shoulder, the safe, soft place to lean on the airplane, the dreams and plans. I miss somebody worrying if I’m late. I miss the smell of shaving cream and tiny flecks of hair in the sink. I miss getting bored and trying to spice things up. I miss being a family.

See, dating is nothing like this. Dating is more like frosting with no cupcake.

I can admit that it’s nice sometimes to have cereal for dinner or shave my legs when I feel like it, or discipline or love my children consistently — my way. I can decide how I spend my money, my vacations and my free time. I have a lot of freedom. But I think it’s possible to have that kind of freedom within the confines of relationship, when it’s the right relationship. I used to watch my babysitter plop on the sofa with my kids while they ate pizza and watched Animal Planet as I was about to leave on a date and I’d wish that I could pay my sitter to go on my date instead. I wanted to snuggle and watch TV with my kids while she determined if the guy was a chump or worth missing a night with my peeps. I wonder if there are rates for that sort of thing? Let’s face it, the guy for me would likely rather stay home and eat pizza and watch Animal Planet, too.

It’s ironic that a married woman might sit on her sofa, eating pizza and watching cable with her family and seethe or pine to be doing something else, someplace else, with someone else.

The whole greener grass mentality is loaded and somewhat dangerous. We peek across the fence into each other’s yards and we wonder. We see lush green grass and we are too far away to notice the weeds, or the water bill. Sometimes greener grass is just rye grass; green for a season, then gone.

It’s good to remember that our own gardens are worth tending.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Imagine your best friend telling you she is facing the battle of a lifetime: incurable cancer. Then, after you’ve supported her in every way you could — even shaving your head in solidarity — you discover that the cancer diagnosis was a lie.

That’s what happened to Chelsey. When the 25-year-old learned that her dear friend Meaghan had terminal cancer, she banded together with other friends in support. In addition to shaving their heads, the women got matching tattoos and raised thousands of dollars to help with Meaghan’s medical bills. After 14 months of comforting their friend, Meaghan confessed that it was all a lie — she didn’t have cancer, and she wasn’t going to die. Hear why Meaghan says she faked cancer.

Now, for the first time since the truth was revealed, Meaghan comes face to face with Chelsey in the video above.

Meaghan apologizes to Chelsey for taking months to face her and says, “I want you to know that the reason I haven’t reached out is not because I don’t care or because I’m not sorry, because that’s not true. I think that I wanted to figure out as much as I could why I got to this point … I betrayed you. I betrayed your trust. I’ve done it before, and it wasn’t fair.”

Dr. Phil asks Meaghan, “Are you sorry for what you’ve done to her?”

“I am very, very, very sorry,” she says. “I am sorry to [Chelsey], to all of the girls, to my family.”

Chelsey addresses Meaghan. “I don’t want you to think that I hate you, because I don’t. I don’t wish any harm on you,” she says. “My first and still reaction has always just been heartbreak, knowing what kind of a broken place that must come from to do something like that and to feel so unlovable that you thought that’s something that you had to do. The amount of shame and guilt that you must feel is probably far worse than any punishment that could be inflicted on you.”

Chelsey says she and their other friends didn’t deserve what Meaghan put them through, but as awful as the situation has been, it’s better than Meaghan dying of cancer. “I wish that you could have stopped it before it went on as long as it did,” says Chelsey. “I think you can move on from this; I don’t think this has to define you.”

There’s levels to outfit architecture, and Hip-Hop has heavily contributed to the instruction manual. The upcoming documentary Fresh Dressed provides in-depth coverage of where fashion and Hip-Hop culture intersect.

The official trailer opens with Kanye West sharing his stance on being “getting fresh.” Pharrell Williams, Diddy, Nas, Pusha T, André Leon Talley, and more share their personal stories with fashion, and how Hip-Hop contributed to their respect senses of style.

Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, the doc, directed by Sascha Jenkins (and presented by Samuel Goldwyn Films and StyleHaul), hits theaters and V.O.D. on June 26. See the trailer below.

Herpes is a chronic condition that is basically caused by a virus known as herpes simplex virus. The common name for this virus is herpes. Herpes generally affects the genitals of the infected person. There are a few common ways of spreading this virus, the most common being sexual intercourse. Although, it does not render intense complications, still it is better to have treatment on timeRelationships:Dating Articles from EzineArticles.com

When it comes to dewy, healthy looking skin, no product delivers a quicker or more refreshing fix than a good facial mist. Applied after cleansing, over makeup, or throughout the day, they’ve become irreplaceable for their appealing one-step method of hydration—but unlike the straightforward floral-infused rosewaters of the past, they’re anything but simple: Featuring SPF, skin-cooling technology, and shine-free finishes, the new generation of face sprays are able to prime, protect, and seal makeup into place. Here, six supercharged atomizers that do more than just moisturize.

Sofia Vergara had to make a tricky decision … there’s a fertilized egg sitting around that could produce a baby she doesn’t want, but she doesn’t want to anger the “right to life” people by destroying it. As TMZ reported, Sofia and then fiance…

“Most of the things I do are all-consuming, but somehow I find a way to do it all. It’s not having it all; it’s about doing it all,” Lively told Allure magazine, before delving into the complexities of the sentiment: “But it’s dangerous to dilute that to a catchphrase. Having it all could be having a happy, healthy family, and you could be a mom who stays at home, and that is the most admirable thing you could do. Or it could be having a profession that you really believe in, and not having a family, and doing what fulfills you. If it’s not a part of a conversation with someone face-to-face, those bites are why women tear each other apart or why the media will tear people apart.”

The 27-year-old is on the cover of the May 2015 issue of Allure. It is her first magazine spread since welcoming daughter James with husband Ryan Reynolds in December. The former “Gossip Girl” star announced her pregnancy on her website, Preserve, in October with a simple photo taken by her brother, showing the actress holding her growing belly.

That decision was a personal one.

“That was my way of owning that moment. I can’t be someone like Beyoncé …,” Lively said, referencing Bey’s onstage pregnancy announcement at the VMAs in 2011. “But it was important for us,” she continued, “It was a struggle, because we want to keep our privacy, but we also don’t want our lives to be exploited by other people. So we did it simply; it was a quiet way, an elegant way.”

A Michigan man was hospitalized Wednesday (March 25) after he mistakenly gorged on weed brownies. His teenage daughter didn’t bother to put a disclaimer on her chocolate treats, because she didn’t think anyone would eat them.

The 58-year-old Independence Township man told first responders he thought he was having a stroke.

He thought maybe his daughter had drugged him.

The 17 year-old girl made the brownies with marijuana she says she got from a friend.

She told police she left them out on the kitchen counter — not thinking anyone would eat them.

The man was released from the hospital and is expected to be okay.

The girl is a Clarkston High School student and will likely face criminal charges.

In case you’re not aware, weed brownies could kill you. “Marijuana today is not your marijuana of the 1960s or 70s,” said Mike McCabe of the Oakland County Sherif’s Office. “The THC level is multiple times more potent. Depending how much marijuana was baked into those brownies, it could lead to someone being violently ill. It could also lead to death.”

Miley Cyrus was in the mood for sushi, and forgiveness — she and Patrick Schwarzenegger went out together for the first time since he sucked body shots off a chick on spring break. Patrick and Miley hit up Kiwami in Studio City, CA — not far from her…

It’s been over a year since I wrote my last letter to my bio-dad and even though I try very hard to act like it doesn’t bother me, it does. My parents called it quits when I was 2 years old and not long after, they had both moved on. My stepdad made up for it in every way; he told me I was beautiful in my prom dress and got teary when he walked me down the aisle.

II don’t know if it affects me more because I am a parent or perhaps it’s just a stage. The first time I really broke down, I was 11. My mom had managed to track down my dad, after not hearing from him since I was 6. I was angry. I wrote him a letter outlining the many things that he had missed out on during the last 10 years, how I didn’t understand how he could go on, get married, have kids and never even think to SMS, call or just pop by.

My mom is a decent ex and can’t be blamed. Still to this day, she scolds me if I put my dad down; she reassures me and tells me of the man she married and somewhere, somehow, that man must be lost. She encourages me to speak to him and make the effort. Still today, I know that she is the one who shares pictures of my child with him.

I have written many letters, some that I regret for being so harsh. I wish that he knew how those words reflected my hurt; I felt abandoned and alone. I look at my husband who can’t handle leaving us while he goes to work. How he takes the time to teach my son new things, cuddle him and reassure him throughout the day. My uncle once called us to say that my father was leaving the country the next day. Can you imagine meaning so little to your parent and not being told that he is leaving?

I’ve only ever seen my dad twice. Once, when I was 6. His wife was pregnant so my mom helped me pick out an outfit for the baby and came with us to lunch. My dad bought me a dress-up set which I loved. But that night, the emotions were overwhelming and I cried into my mom’s open arms. When I was 13, my parents agreed to send me overseas to see him. My mom and step-dad made sure that I wouldn’t need anything. They bought me an entire new wardrobe and enough toiletries to last six months. My grandparents handed me over to a stranger at the airport — a man who only had a supervised lunch under his belt of parenting experiences with his oldest daughter.

I don’t think that anyone considered the emotions that I had to go through or just how big the trip was. I wish that I could have enjoyed it and made the best of the opportunity, but the emotional turmoil was just too much and I flew back two weeks earlier than planned.

Recently, I asked my husband if he thought I would see my dad again and as the words escaped my lips, I regretted it — I already knew the answer. He replied with a firm “No.” Deep down, I expected it. But hearing it from someone else hit me hard. My dad won’t ever get to meet the two men who light up my life: my husband and son. He won’t know what makes me happy, my dreams and wishes. He won’t know anything more than my name and how many birthdays he has missed.

It’s not okay for you to turn your back on your children or to think that by not having any involvement in their life, you are doing them a favor. They don’t want you there? Fight harder. You’ve done wrong? Don’t let it define you, work at it and prove yourself. But don’t ever give up. There is nothing worse than feeling like your parent just gave up on you and forgot about you. Children need their parents — all of them. I thank my lucky stars for my step-dad and I am exceptionally grateful for my mom. But just because I have amazing parents, it still doesn’t fill the gap that my father left.

Your role as a parent doesn’t end with signing on the dotted line. You owe it to your children to be there, to fight for them, to not expect them to put in the effort to be your child, but for you to put in the time, patience and effort into being their parent.

When the annual Victoria’s Secret fashion show touched down in London this past December in a flurry of feathers, lace, and bombshell ombré hair extensions, it was the first time in recent memory that a barrel wave had been spotted on any runway from New York to Paris. It offered a stark contrast to spring shows like Rodarte, where coiffeuse Odile Gilbert asked every model how she wanted to wear her hair “in real life” before settling on a loose, no-fuss style that can best be described as artfully undone—barely done, even.

At Louis Vuitton, where hairstylist Paul Hanlon did little more than tuck a few loose strands behind the ear here and there, models like Jean Campbell and Amanda Murphy looked like they’d popped by the show on their day off. And at Christian Dior, “unfettered” was the directive designer Raf Simons gave to Guido Palau, who used an oil-infused shampoo and let hair air-dry for a “straight, but not too straight, de-frizzed, but not overly blown-out” effect. Girls on the runway looked more like girls on the street—and that was the point.

“My idea of the chicest woman now is someone who comes in with hair just above the collarbone, the ends untouched, and with color so subtle you can’t tell anything’s been done,” says Palau. “It’s a Céline attitude—that everything should be effortless,” he says, referring to the cultish label designed by Phoebe Philo and embodied by the ultimate icon of cool, model Daria Werbowy.

That means that this season, the bouncy salon blowout has been replaced with a halo of flyways, tinted moisturizer, or a swipe of lip balm is the only makeup you need, and jeans—high-waisted at Rodarte and Saint Laurent; tight, black, and sexy at Givenchy; slouchy and cuffed at the ankle at Alexander Wang—are suddenly among the most coveted pieces in your closet. Some might call it normcore; others just call it real. It’s inspired by the effortless sensibility of social media and street style stars like Charlotte Gainsbourg,Lily Aldridge,Kate Moss, and Caroline de Maigret, the French model and music producer whose rumpled-chic hair has inspired a fan blog of its own.

Hedi Slimane has been a pioneer of real girl (via rock girl) chic since arriving at Saint Laurent. Didier Malige, Slimane’s go-to backstage stylist, credits the French-born, L.A.-based designer’s European sensibility for a mentality that values attitude over excessive primping. “I don’t even think there are blowdry bars in Paris,” Malige jokes. “They’re just not cool.” He often sees Slimane’s carefully cast corps of models about a day or two in advance of the designer’s show, so he can give them a trim, or a long fringe that “looks like its always been there” before the lights come up on the runway. Think of it as less of a haircut, and more of a relaxed hair attitude.

Of course, for the real real girl—the kind for whom walking a runway is not her day job—keeping it casual, while polished, can prove more of a challenge. “Actual real women often don’t know if their hair looks natural, or if it looks like a mess, so they just have a blowout,” says Palau sympathetically of navigating the fine line between undone and sloppy. For Gilbert, it starts with how you cleanse your hair. “To make this kind of thing work, one day you shampoo and condition, then maybe one day you only do conditioner, and then the next day only shampoo at the roots,” she says. Styling creams, like Phyto 7 or Tresemmé Perfectly Undone, and the increasingly popular texturizing sprays, like Bumble and Bumble. Prep, Oribe Dry, or Redken Wind Blown 05—applied to dry lengths—add grit and pliable hold.

It’s a stylistic sweet spot that extends to makeup, too. British makeup artist Lucia Pica describes the matte skin and groomed brows she created backstage at both Roksanda Ilincic and Peter Pilotto’s spring collections as “beauty that is so minimal that it feels as if the girl has done it herself. There is makeup there,” she insists, “it’s just stripped down.”

Pica, with her dark, brow-sweeping bangs, creamy pale skin, and signature swipe of Chanel Rouge Noir lipstick—pressed on with her fingertips—may be her own best advertisement for the season’s refreshing and realistic new approach. “My personal routine takes about seven minutes,” she says, detailing the process by which she blends a lightweight foundation with “a lot” of moisturizer, and then smudges a balm over espresso eyeliner and some taupe shadow at her lash-line. When she applies her mascara, she does so just at the root of the lashes, for a hint of definition. It’s a system she has developed as much for aesthetic as practical purposes (to navigate her 7:00 a.m. call times), a strategy other busy women will surely appreciate. “We don’t want to give up the glamour,” says Pica, “we just want to do it fast.” That’s as real as it gets.

(Note: The above video contains language that may not be appropriate for work and other sensitive environments)

Having sex for the first time often comes with a range of emotions from “whoo hoo!” and “oh hell yeah!” to “uh, what just happened” and “that’s it?” to “that’s not what I expected” and “that’s not what I was hoping for.”

In a video from The Gay Bachelor Blog, which originally debuted in 2010 but is making the rounds on the Internet again this week, gay men open up about what their first times were like. From a tryst in the showers after hockey practice to finally not having to “worry about whether I was going to get hard or not,” these are real stories from real men talking about their own lives.

Check it out above and then why not share your own experience in the comments section below.

PARIS—In the wake of this week’s terrorist attacks on French newspaper Charlie Hebdo and two ensuing armed standoffs that together left over a dozen innocent civilians dead, humankind admitted Friday that it is sick and tired of having …

In a series of profanity-laced video posts to Instagram, the New Orleans rapper said he and his current girlfriend of three months had often been told they look like brother and sister but he hadn’t thought anything of it until his grandma told him they were related.

But, even still, he’s not going to give up on this girl.

He says the sex is good, “we click,” and they didn’t grow up together or anything, so they don’t know each other like that.

“Y’all done got the hard part out of the way,” he says. “Why f— up a good thing?”

Check out the Kevin Gates cousin revelation in the video below and hit the flip to hear him explain his incestuous actions.

It’s a Saturday morning, and I think I’m pregnant. I go to the bathroom and unwrap a pregnancy test — pH paper inside a plastic stick. I sit on the toilet and awkwardly place the plastic stick under my urine stream.

I set the stick on the edge of the sink and watch my urine slowly move down the paper, saturating it, telling it things about my body that I don’t know. After two minutes, the stick shows my result. One solid pink line, the faintest inkling of a second line just to its left. But, is that a line? Or am I just imagining it? Do I want it to be a line?

I take a picture of the test with my phone and I text it to my sister: “What does this say?”

My husband is out getting the car’s oil changed. I text him. “Buy pregnancy tests. All different kinds.” He comes home with a new set of tests. I guzzle water and take them all, one at a time. Each test confirms the one before. There is a row of four pee-soaked sticks on the edge of my sink, all with faint second lines.

***

Five years ago, when I was 28 years old, I decided I would never have children, ever. I had been dating a guy for six years, we were living together, and I wanted to get married with the fervor of a woman who feels she has nothing else going for her. I worked at an industrial supply company, had a boyfriend, and getting married appeared to be the only exciting possibility open to me. But my boyfriend didn’t want to have kids. To marry him, I had to know I wasn’t going to have children.

I had always assumed that I would one day have kids, but I assumed this the way I assume that I’ll one day fit into a size six or have a Roth IRA or not find cigarettes delicious — those are future difficulties for future Dana to handle. But now I’m twenty-eight years old and I need to make a choice. I start to experiment with the idea of not having children. I visit child-free websites and purchase books: Life without Children, Baby Not on Board, Child-free and Loving It! And in picturing my life without children I find something. I had been going to work every day, coming home, watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVDs, going to bed, waking up, doing it again, pausing only to drink heavily on the weekends. I’ve literally been waiting to get married and have kids to finally give my life some purpose. But now, now, it’s possible that I will never be a mother. And since children aren’t going to give me purpose, I need to find my own. I start taking writing classes, improv classes, going to open mics. I get into grad school. I start a storytelling show. I give birth to myself.

A year after I agree to a child-free existence, my boyfriend still doesn’t want to get married, and I’m like: for fuck’s sake. So I break up with him. A lot of my friends ask, “Does this mean that you want kids now?” I think: who knows? I’m single for the first time in years and, sure, the idea of children being a possibility is nice, but less because I have a throbbing desire to have one and more because I like not having to make the decision. I like that I no longer have to know what I want.

Then I meet my husband. He’s warm and a hundred times more nurturing than me and he wants to have a baby and when I look at him I want that, too. But I also have moments of doubt. I spent such a long time focused on the negatives of having a child. I’ll be physically exhausted during pregnancy, it’ll wreck my body, ruin my boobs, swell up my ankles, tear my vagina, and then when we have the baby it’ll be tethered to me, demanding food every two hours. I won’t be able to sleep or shower and the exhaustion will go down to my bones. And then the baby will grow up and maybe start shoplifting or develop a meth habit or be a whiny person who I don’t like very much. The whole thing seems so dangerous, so likely to result in a bad outcome. And how will I write with a baby? How will I perform? How will I do any of the things that I want to do? What do I, by myself, without the opinion of my partner, want?

I still don’t know. But it’s a Saturday morning and I’m pregnant.

I find it hard to believe at first because I don’t feel any different. But then days go by and I begin to feel a buzz around my edges — every so often there’s a tiny tug on my perception, like I just took some Nyquil and it’s kicking in. I realize that this buzzing is probably a result of the pregnancy. It becomes more real. The women’s restroom at work has private nursing rooms for new mothers. I practice thinking about being a mom. I practice scheduling time in the mother’s nursing room on my Outlook calendar. I’m tired because my energy is being diverted, but I’m also improbably calm. I realize that I, through no conscious effort of my own, am slowly building another person. I feel like I have company everywhere I go. My husband and I compare bellies in the mirror every night. I didn’t think it was possible, but I enjoy being pregnant.

***

It’s a Thursday morning and I have a meeting at work, a typical gathering of people sitting in a room and discussing the intricacies of customer payment patterns, and the meeting turns a little rough. My logic is questioned and my boss publicly notices a spelling error in a memo I wrote. I retreat to the bathroom afterwards with my iPhone so I can sit in a stall, check Facebook, and soothe myself by remembering that nothing at my job really matters. And while in there I see blood. I see a lot of blood.

I put down my phone, retrieve a tampon, clean myself up, and force myself to move air in and out of my lungs because I want to stop breathing. I want to stop my breath so I can stop my mind from telling me what this means. But I do breathe, so my mind slowly registers this new information.

It’s a lot of blood.

Which means it’s a miscarriage.

I’m having a miscarriage.

I have 10 seconds before I start to cry and I need to find place to hide. I’m at work and no one even knows I’m pregnant but now I’m not pregnant, I’m having a miscarriage, but this is a place of business for business people and not a place for miscarriages and the women’s restroom has lots of my co-workers coming and going and they’ll recognize my shoes and they’ll hear me crying in the stall and they’ll ask each other, “Do you know what’s wrong with Dana? Oh — I bet she’s miscarrying.” And I can’t have that — I just can’t have it.

The mother’s nursing room is just around the corner, and it’s open. I stare at it and blink. I run inside and shut the door and sit in that small room with the clock and the fan and the table for the breast pump. I sit in a chair reserved for nursing mothers and I cry the way I bleed — without control, without seeming end. I use my cell phone and call my husband, who can barely understand me. I get it out, tell him we’re not pregnant anymore. He says it’s OK, it’ll be OK, and he loves me. I just cry. I hang up because I’m going to ruin my phone if I keep weeping directly into it. As I cry, part of me is surprised — we are really upset. Yes, we are.

Eventually I calm myself down. I need to go back to my cubicle. But, no, my face is a mess. Bright red, mascara everywhere. I call a trusted co-worker from my cell phone.

“Mary — it’s Dana. I’m in the mother’s nursing room. I need you to come in here and I need you to bring a box of tissues.” And Mary doesn’t even ask, “What?” She just says, “Yes,” hangs up, and runs to me with a box of tissues. She is a mother. I tell her that I’m miscarrying and she looks stricken. She hugs me.

I go home sick. I call the doctor. They say that I’m probably not pregnant anymore, but maybe I am, but probably I’m not, but I should use a maxi pad and not a tampon because my cervix is sensitive. I should come in for a blood test to make sure that I’m definitely not pregnant anymore, because I still could be. Even though I know. I no longer feel that tiny buzz.

I go to the doctor and they draw blood, twice, to compare the results. They tell me that yes, I did miscarry, that it was a chemical pregnancy, which means that I was pregnant, technically, but the embryo wasn’t viable and my body ended the pregnancy. They say that it’s a good thing, because it shows that I can get pregnant. They say that it’s a good thing, because when a pregnancy goes wrong early on, the body does the right thing in ending it. They say that I’ll be extra fertile next time. They notice that I’m crying. They close the office door and hand me a tissue and agree that it’s sad.

***

I keep crying, at random times, every day. My husband tells me it will all be OK and this is a setback, but it will be OK. And in my moments of logic I agree — the body knows best, and if the pregnancy isn’t going to go well, it’s best for the body to end it at the beginning, and we will get pregnant again one day, and I was so unsure that I was even ready for this.

But then there are moments after I’ve exhausted myself with tears, and these moments are so quiet and so visceral that they feel like a higher truth. I had someone, a life, and now I don’t. I feel the difference. It’s hollower. Emptier. Even though it was just cells, barely there. Cells that in past times, times when I was undecided, I would have done anything not to have. But this is different. Because I wanted it.

I didn’t know. I didn’t know how much I wanted children. How much I wanted that child. But now, at least, at the very least, I know.

After having two daughters, Drew Barrymore reveals she is in no rush to slim down and that her family always takes precedence over hitting the gym.InStyleMillionaireMatch.com – the best dating site for sexy, successful singles!

There’s definitely benefits to having friends, but can you have a friend with benefits with one of the parties isn’t actually human? Summer Glau opens up about her close relationship with a 10-foot tall robot.WIRED Videos – The Scene

Award-winning actor James Earl Jones, 83, who takes the stage in the play “You Can’t Take it With You” as Grandpa Vanderhof, said it’s “wonderful” to be back on Broadway.

The comedic play, whose cast includes Rose Byrne, Kristine Nielsen, Annaleigh Ashford and Elizabeth Ashley, is about an engaged couple introducing their very different families to each other.

“It is ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ … These families are equal in dignity but not in wealth,” Jones said. “The wealth has set the other family, the boy’s family, apart in a way that’s not all that healthy and Grandpa knows that because he came from that world. … He was very aggressive, making an attempt at Wall St. Here’s a guy who I’ll say … tried then gave it up. But the other family has thrived and … the father of the groom is the epitome of the dignified American. … And he’s got this son. … And my granddaughter’s in love with him.”

“Every member of the cast carries the play. There’s no star. It’s not on my shoulders,” Jones said. “It’s on every one of our shoulders, and they do it beautifully. They’re really some sharpshooters.”

Jones, who provided the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies, won the Voice Icon Award from the first-ever Voice Arts Awards in November.

He said Star Wars fans still come by the theater to get autographs.

“I love that they think well of it,” he said. “I’m very proud to have been a part of that. It’s a great cult growing up around the whole — good for George [Lucas] and good for everybody, including the mythologists that inspired George.”

A new Star Wars film is expected out in 2015.

As for Jones, despite all the accolades and achievements, he said he was still the same person who was born in Mississippi and raised on a Michigan farm.

ABC News

He remembers his grandfather’s advice to take things one step at a time.

“Every production I do is another step. Destiny — I don’t know what that is. … Just the step is what’s important,” he said. “The journey is what’s important. I consider myself a journeyman actor. I love the phrase.”

Movie nights are perfect for cuddling up together with some popcorn and a movie. And let’s face it: you’re tired, you’re comfy, and you haven’t really attended to your personal grooming this week. So here are a few ways to select a movie that’ll send the “We’re not having sex after this movie” message, loud and clear.

One word: Holocaust Film. Sex after genocide is like orange juice after brushing your teeth. Starving bodies and horrendous loss will have you both saying, “auf Wiedersehen” to any notion of lovemaking. IMPORTANT: Stay away from Sophie’s Choice – there are some incredibly steamy scenes that might change his mind in spite of the boner-killing story arc.

Choose something that revolves around a large egg hatching. Whether it’s a nature doc or a sci-fi horror, you’re guaranteed a hefty amount of goo and fearful procreation, two things that both feature heavily in sex, but rarely incite it.

Anything with Ernest Borgnine. The man has the face of a Chinese New Year’s dragon, except with tufts of century-old hair. His goofy grin, untended eyebrows, and ill yodel of a voice will ensure a platonic evening in which sex is the farthest thing from your minds.

Pick a movie that includes the line: “I just had sex with my own Dad?!” No examples come immediately to mind, but trust me: Mood-killer.

Just watch Red Asphalt. For a surefire sex-stopper, watch Red Asphalt, which is just footage of highway carnage used to scare young drivers into always buckling their seat belts. Sure, it may not exactly be the relaxing evening you had in mind, but you definitely won’t be having sex or text while driving after watching this classic.

The DaVinci Code. We still haven’t unraveled the mystery as to why, but for some reason it works. Every. Time.

Taking a cock up her ass and one in her dripping pink pussy at the same time is a wet dream come true for this horny little slut. Listen to her whimper and cry out for more as she’s banged by two lucky guys at the same time!